


Dangerous liaisons

by vampiric_mcd



Series: Life, death and rebirth are inevitable [5]
Category: Merlin - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-17
Updated: 2010-11-17
Packaged: 2017-10-13 06:57:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/134282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vampiric_mcd/pseuds/vampiric_mcd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>People didn’t realize that Arthur was more dangerous than they tended to give him credit for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dangerous liaisons

_**fic: (merlin) (Series: Life, death and rebirth are inevitable) Fic: Dangerous liaisons**_  
Title: Dangerous liaisons  
Series: Life, death and rebirth are inevitable  
Prompt: Choices  
Fandom: Merlin  
Main Character: Arthur  
Summary: People didn’t realize that Arthur was more dangerous than they tended to give him credit for.  
Rating: PG  
Word count: 845  
Spoilers: none  
A/N: This takes place in a universe where Merlin and the other characters are reincarnated over and over again. There will be more ficlets and drabbles for this series.

“Life, death and rebirth are inevitable”  
By Rig Veda

  
People didn’t realize that Arthur was more dangerous than they tended to give him credit for. As a rule they always kept underestimating him. Arthur knew that they didn’t have any doubts about his superiority on the battle field. But when it came to matters of political intrigue – it was as if they just didn’t calculate him in. They just tended to see a golden buff prince, who was more than content to merely train up his knights and compete in tournaments to boost his pride and reputation on the way to his own reign.

It was laughable really. Because they forgot that Arthur had been literally been born and bred in and for courtly living. And if watching his father had taught him anything at all, it was that a kingdom couldn’t be run on brawn alone. Not that Arthur had a problem with using his intellect. In fact, he didn’t merely live on politics. Arthur thrived on them. He knew how to manipulate people – how to set them to his hand or to demand their loyalties when all else failed.

The flipside of his position – and actually being aware of his political impact despite what the court believed – meant that it was lonely. He could only trust in degrees, because everyone had their own agenda. Some were just more open with their ultimate goals. If anything, Arthur had learned the hard way about the value of a friend. And it was frightening to realize what a true friend he had found in Merlin. A complete opposite from the constant and ever-present courtiers, who effortlessly kept trying to bribe or win his favour in some way or another. Even Morgana tended to act with her own interests at hand with little to no regard for Arthur or the difficulties of his position.

  
It was this lack of self-promotion that made Merlin so special. He differed because he didn’t expect anything from Arthur. All Merlin wanted from Arthur was for him to be the best crown prince and nobleman that he could be. Merlin wanted nothing for his own gain. He wanted nothing solely for his own benefit or advancement. And as a result, Arthur would have offered him the world at the first hint that Merlin might want for something. Merlin didn’t have a contriving bone in his body. It got quite distracting at first when Arthur realised that Merlin didn’t want anything from Arthur. He had never really had that before. And he wasn’t about to give it up for anything or anyone.

  
Arthur would go to great lengths to keep this friendship safe. There wasn’t anything that he couldn’t see himself doing if it meant keeping Merlin beside him. Even if that meant keeping Merlin in the dark about his thoughts and feelings. Even when Arthur would prefer it of he could just press Merlin down unto his sheets – freshly laundered and smelling like lavender – and take him. In truth, Arthur just wanted to claim him and be done with it – keeping away all interlopers. But Arthur knew he couldn’t risk it. Now when being Arthur’s lover would draw more attention to Merlin than would be wise. For now, Arthur would have to keep his distance to keep him safe. He would and could use everything in his power to protect Merlin – so it shouldn’t be all that surprising that he wanted to keep Merlin safe from everyone – even himself.

It also meant that he would keep turning a blind eye to golden eyes and a all in all terrifying grasp of power and magic. In the grand scheme of things they almost seemed surprisingly inconsequential if. Except for the danger its existence put Merlin in. And so Arthur just buried it inside himself beside every other scrap of useful knowledge. It felt ridiculously easy – especially given the number of people he had witnessed executed for the use of magic. Or perhaps it was a direct result of remembering the many people he had seen killed – and knowing it could easily be Merlin in shackles next.

The thought of losing Merlin scared Arthur beyond imagination. So Arthur kept both their secrets. Even though it jeopardized them all. The faintest hint of betrayed loyalties made for a precarious situation, not to mention the bonds of kingship as well as kinship that Arthur was still firmly bound to.

But he knew that if Merlin was ever found out for the sorcerer ge was, then he would be defenceless against the one person Arthur had to be subservient to. If the king even suspected Merlin of magic – his manservant would be lucky to live out the day. And Arthur knew that if Merlin thought he could relax around Arthur, who had already found out when Merlin was doing his best to hide his abilities – it would exponentially increase the chance that Uther would discover everything.

  
Arthur wasn’t willing to take that risk. There would be time for more with Merlin when Arthur would be crowned king.

More at the [Masterpost](http://vampiric-mcd.livejournal.com/58521.html)  
(listed in order of posting as well as chronological sequence.)


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